BEIJING: Fifty-one people, including 33 government officials, have been held accountable for a gymnasium col-lapse in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, in July, according to a report released recently by the provincial department of emergency management.
The report said the accident was caused by illegal and unauthorized construction and renovation.
It said te improper stacking of perlite, an insulation material, led to rainwater retention and resulted in a significant increase in the load on the gymnasium roof that exceeded its carrying capacity, causing a collapse. The accident at No 34 Middle School, in the city’s Longsha district, on July 23, killed 11 people and in-jured seven, the report said. It led to direct economic losses of 12.5 million yuan ($1.75 million).
At the time of the accident, 17 members of the school volleyball team and two coaches were training. Fifteen of them were trapped and four others managed to escape following the collapse. The gymnasium, built in 1997, covered around 1,200 square meters.
After the accident, the local government set up an investigation team led by the provincial emergency management department, and a group of experts was invited to participate.
The report also listed indirect causes: the construction and supervisory units that failed to fulfill their primary responsibility for quality and safety production; as well as the industry regulatory department that did not adequately fulfill its responsibilities. The construction unit started construction without obtaining permits and conducted false completion inspections.
During construction, there were no safety management personnel on duty and the project manager did not have professional qualifications. –Agencies
